Ash Vase

[Mark Cothren]

I'm just gonna turn this wood until it's gone! Actually, this is a piece that has been in my shop about two years. It was dry as a bone. I originally intended to dye it black, but after I sanded it I liked it too much to dye it. I did, however, ink the inside of it. The rim developed some heat checks so I branded it. I used Danish oil over lacquer sanding sealer for the finish. Comments/critiques welcomed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/markfromark/AshVase04.jpg

[Curt Fuller]

That's a beauty Mark! I like the burning around the rim and that is about as pure and blemish free of a piece of ash as I've seen. Really nice!

[Roger Chandler]

Mark,

Very nice form on this, the contrasting color on the collar and inside really makes it special, but I think the best thing on this is the grain orientation that you got, and that combined with the form makes it a beautiful work.

Very pretty!

[Pete Jordan]

Wow Mark,

Nice job and beautiful wood!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Mark that is beautiful. I can see why you didn't dye it.

[Jon Lanier]

That is really nice. Almost looks like an egg and something blew out of it.

[David E Keller]

That's nice, and I fully agree with your decision not to dye it. The rim detailing is very nice. What did you use to brand it?

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Mark, my Mother used to say that "Simplicity is the Key to Beauty". This one nails that saying. Great Job!:)

[John Beaver]

Simply beautiful !!!

[Mark Cothren]

What did you use to brand it?

David, I have a homemade burner that I normally use, but it is broke down right now and needs repaired. So I used a woodburner I got from Hobby Lobby a while back. It's slow (not as hot) and doesn't do near as good as the homemade rig.

[Michael James]

Different shape, great finish and I agree on the grain - really special looking and an excellent and creative save on the checks with color and texture!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Love the form Mark! Sure is some great looking wood - about as pure as I've seen! The burning really highlights the natural color as well as draw your eyes to the top of the form!

Very nice work! Thanks for sharing!

[charlie knighton]

very nice....

[William Hutchinson]

Great looking piece, the simplicity of the form, wood grain and rim detail combine to make an excellent turning. Well done.

[Jeff Nicol]

Mark, Like has been said already the simple elegance and natural color of the ash with the rim work really make this one special. I really like how the grain leaves the near perfect oval on the side.

Great job,

Jeff

[John Keeton]

Mark, good decision on not using the dye on this one - gorgeous wood!! Can't tell, but I imagine the dyed inside really enhances the overall appearance. The rim treatment is a real eyecatcher, and fits the piece perfectly. You do such a great job on the vase forms.

[Bill Blasic]

Mark,
All of the above but one thing that you might want to do on the next one is to take the point of a skew a make a line at the bottom of the burn marks so the burn lines all looked stopped in the same plane. Nice work, beautiful piece.
Bill

[Tom Sherman]

The great grain alignment, the continuous curve, the mouth treatment and the flawless finish truly inspired by the Master's hand. Thanks for showing it Mark.

[Mark Cothren]

Mark,
All of the above but one thing that you might want to do on the next one is to take the point of a skew a make a line at the bottom of the burn marks so the burn lines all looked stopped in the same plane. Nice work, beautiful piece.
Bill

Good suggestion, Bill. The problem was I didn't notice the heat checks until after it was off the lathe. I thought about burning a line as you have described, but decided to just leave it as is. I think your suggestion is a good one and would make it look more like a collar.

[James Roberts]

Simply beautiful, Mark. Love the pureness of the ash and the branding of the collar. Pretty form and finish as well.

[Baxter Smith]

Beautiful vase. I love the way the shape so closely approximates the grain. I have yet to succeed in accomoplishing that!

[Jim Burr]

Not fond of the term, but Organic really comes to mind. One amazing piece Mark...hard to stop looking at it!!

[Billy Tallant]

Great looking piece! Easy to understand why you didn't dye that outside.